Hidden beneath the Crystal Palace Picture Theatre on Mt Eden Rd, in the bosom of a classic 1930’s kauri floored dance hall. Read the full history of the lab here..

At one time the most hip underground club in Auckland, this large, discrete, multi-room space has been transformed into one of the country's leading vintage studios. Housing more than just an impressive collection of musical equipment, the most important feature is that it’s all within a liberating environment, seething with noir character and the ghosts of illegitimate children, with restaurants, a liquor outlet, burgers, pies, and decent coffee all within stumbling distance.

Studio A

The Lab is setup as a comfortable, spacious lounge crossed with a studio, a place where artists and musicians can feel at ease in a playground of instruments. The gear on offer is all very useable, and could be called both “industry standard” and of the highest quality. Coupled with this, Olly & Jol, the resident engineers, have the knowledge and experience to get the very best out of what is an equally impressive setup on the other side of the glass.

The main recording room is large without being excessively reverberant, featuring a nicely balanced, characteristic ambience due to it’s polished kauri floor. Music sounds good in there.

There is also a smaller isolation room (formerly the stage when this building was the Crystal Palace Ballroom), which is great for a super 70’s drum sound, isolating loud things, or any other application that requires as little ambience as possible.

Nestled among the control room’s couches, funky lamps, and racks of outboard, is the superb vintage Neve. It’s a great place to spend the better part of a day.

Studio B

The Oven, just down the hall from the Lab’s main room, is a very adaptable space with a variety of uses. Complete with recording rig, mics, monitoring, isolation booth and a PA, it also features an impressive array of keyboards, synthesizers, guitars, amps, effects and a drumkit. It is an environment geared towards musical inspiration.